Meter



Sept. 14, 1937.

A. F. SPITZGLASS ET AL METER Filed Sept. 18, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Se t. 14, L937. A. F. SPITZGLASS ET AL 2,093,254

METER Filed Sept. 18, 1935 4 Sheets$heet 2 Sept. 14, 1937. A, F, sp s ET AL 2,093,254

METER Filed Sept. 18, 1953 4 Sheets- 'Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 14, 1937;

METER Albert I. Sfltaglass and Otto '1. llandwerk, Chiago, 111., assignors to Republic Flow Meters N nois 111-, a corporation of lili- Application September is. ms, Serial No. cause This invention relates to mechanism suitable for use in meters and the like, and is illustrated as embodied in a meter indicating the product of two variable quantities, for example in order automatically to correct the reading of a flow meter for variations in density of the steam or other fluid whose flow is being measured.

In metering the flow of steam and other fluids, it is customary to measure the differential in pressure across an orifice or the like inserted in the pipe through which the fluid is flowing, the square root of the differential in the pressures on opposite sides of the orifice being inversely proportional to the rate of fiow. It is desirable, however, to correct this reading for variations in density of the fluid, e. g. by correcting according to the square root of the fluid pressure. This has been accomplished in various ways heretofore: for example an electrical apparatus for making this correction is shown in Patent No. 1,847,105 muted on March 1, 1932, to Albert F. Bpitzglass.

One object of the present invention is. to provide a simple mechanical device for automatically correcting the reading of a meter of this type, or for performing other operations in meters and other mechanisms which involve multiplying two variable. quantities to secure a resultingproduct which varies with the variations of both of them.

In the illustrated meter there are two parts moved according to the square root of the pressure and according to the square root of the differential in pressure, and the indicating means includes novel automatic multiplying means connected to and actuated by both of these parts to give the desired corrected figure. Various features of novelty relate to the means for moving these parts according to the square roots of their respectivequantities, to an arrangement by which the pressure quantity is measured as an absolute pressure instead of from atmospheric pressure as zero, and particularly to facilitating such a measurement by providing means for correcting for variations in the atmospheric (or barometric) pressure.

There is also substantialnovelty in the connections for multiplying the two variables, and in an indicating arrangement by which two pens or pointers or other indicators are independently moved about the same axis to show the product (or corrected result) and also to show independently a function of one of the quantities being measured, for example the fluid pressure.

' Another feature of the invention relates to the use of afiuid'motor or other power device, controlled by one oi the means-ins means and giving 4 chin ((11. 2-205) .of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of meter, utilizing as indicators a pair of pens drawing lines on a circular chart;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the meter, showing the power motor and the means for measuring the fluid pressure and they difierential pressure;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the operating mechanism by which the two quantities are multiplied and indicated, but showing as indicators (instead of pens) two pointers moving over suitable scales; Figure 4 is a view corresponding to part of Figure 3, but with a number of the movable parts provided with scales, to facilitate the description of their operation;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the parts shown in Figure 3, .with various indicia added to facilitate the description of the operation; and

Figure 6 is a detail view showing one form of valve mechanism for the power device.

The illustrated meter is intended to measure the fiow of gas or steam or other fluid through a pipe It or the like which is provided with the usual orifice device I! defining a high pressure on one side and a low pressure on the other side, whose difl'erential is proportional to the square of the flow. The high pressure side is shown connected to the meter by a pipe H and the low pressure side by a pipe it. The meter itself is housed in a suitable casing II which may be supported on any desired type of standard 20. The casing It may be made in a number of pieces which are bolted or otherwise secured together, as shown in'Figure 2, to facilitate the assembly.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the indicators of the mechanism comprise a pair oi pens 22 operating on a circular chart 2i driven by the usual clock mechanism, the pens being mounted at their lower ends on co-axially arranged shafts as described below. This figure also shows a totalizing device 28 which in itself forms no part of the present invention. In the arrangement of Figures 3 and 5 the indicators 'are in the form of pointers 28 and 30 cooperating with a suitable scale 32 and mounted respectively on co-axially arranged shafts 34 and 36, in the same manner as the pens except that the pointers 28 and 30 are shown extending downwardly from-the shafts while the pens 22 extend upwardly therefrom.

The high pressure connection I 4 is shown extending into the casing I8 through a passage 38 adjustably controlled by a needle valve 40. The passage 38 communicates by a passage 42 below the needle valve with an upper portion 44 of a space containing a pressure-measuring liquid such as mercury or the like 46.

The bottom of the space M communicates by a'passage 48 with another space 58 which communicates through a passage 52 with the low pressure pipe I6. This forms in efiect a manometer measuring the differential in pressure on the opposite sides of the orifice I2, by moving up and down a float 54. In order to provide a direct connection between the spaces 44 and 50 in calibrating the instrument, there is a pipe connecticnat the back of the instrument which canbe opened and closed by manipulating a valve 56. In the normal operation of the meter the valve 56 is closed and there is no direct connection between the spaces 44 and 50.

by meansof which it is guided on two posts 58 suitably secured in the upper portion of the casing I8 and extending downwardly into the space 44. As a safety measure, these posts carry at 35. their lower end a shut-off valve 60 which is normally held away from the passage 48 byits buoyancy but which is forced downwardly to close the passage 48 when the float 54 reachesthe lower ends of the posts '58. The lower ends of the posts 58 are reduced in diameter to limit the upward-movement of the shut-off valve 60. The passage 38 is shown with a suitable removable drain plug 62. I

' The passage 38 also communicates through an upwardlyextending passage 64 with a cylinder 66 forming part of a fluid-pressure operated motor which operatesa part of the meter mechanism, under .the control of the float 54 but by means of power derived from the pressure of the fluid entering through the passage 38.

The motor, in the arrangement illustrated, preferably has in the upper part of the casing a difi'erential piston device 68 including a relatively large upper piston I0 movable in the cylinder 66 and a smaller piston I2 movable in a. lower co-axial smaller cylinder 14. The pistons I0 and I2 are connected by a suitable rigid skeleton them is all at the same pressure.

The lower part of the cylinder I4, below the smaller piston I2, and the upper part of the cylinder .66, above the larger piston 10, communicate with any suitable source of pressure which is diflerent'from the pressure in the space he- 6 tween the two pistons and which may con- The float 54 is shown provided with openings framework or the like, so that the space between the upper piston and below the lower piston there will be a force acting downwardly on the piston device 68.

The piston device 68 has a downwardly-extending sleeve I6 engaged by a guide roller l8 and formed with a rack meshing with and operating a pinion 82 on an operating shaft 84 which, as more fully explained below, operates under the control of the float 54 to actuate the mechanism correspondingv to the differential between the high and low pressures.

The sleeve 18 may be provided if desired with a suitable seal or gland held by a packing nut 86 and slidably embracing a tube 88 in a manner permitting the stem 16 to slide up and down over the tube 88 while maintaining a substantiall sealed connection therewith; The tube 88 is shown mounted in a plug 90 screwed into a wall at the top of space 84, so that the interior of the tube 88 is cut off from communication with the cylinder I4.

The float 54 is provided with an upwardly-extending valve rod or stem 92 which extends vthrough the tube 88 and through the sleeve I6 and, which is arranged to operate the control valve mechanism shown in detail in Figure 6.

This valve mechanism is carried by-a plug 94 forming a part of the piston device 68, and which has a passage 96 leading to'the space above the piston and which is controlled by a double ended balanced valve 98 in line with and actuated by the valve stem orrod 92. When the float 54 drops.

so that the rod 92 leaves the valve 98, the valve 98 also drops opening communication through the passage 96 and the passages I00 and I02 controlled by the valve 98, so that the high pressure fluid between the two pistons can escape upwardly and the pressure will correspondingly become reduced. When the float 54 rises -or when the piston device 68 moves downwardly, the upper end of the rod or valve stem 92 contacts the double valve 98 to close or at least to reduce the opening of the passages I00 and I02, and thereby to shut off or reduce the leakage of the high pressure fluid from the space between the pistons to the atmosphere.

vice 68 accurately and powerfully follows the movements of the float 54 without imposing any loadon the float which would interfere with its movement. Since the movement of the piston the movements of the shaft 84 are accurately controlled by the movements of the float 54 although the shaft is actually rotated by power, so that it can exert a considerable force if necessary to overcome friction or other retarding forces in the mechanism described below.

The space 50, that is in communication with the low pressure pipe I8, communicates through a baflle I04 or the like with a space I05 containing an 'expansible and contractible metallic bellows I08. The ba-file I04 tends to prevent any liquid entrained in the fluid entering at 52 from entering the space I06. The baflle I04, or the bottom of bellows I68, may if desired have small projections preventing the bellows from sealing the space from the space-50. The bellows I08 is compressed more or less by the fluid pressure I thrust rod'II2 acting on a plunger II4 which against the resistance of a spring III which is arranged therein, thereby to force upwardly a has at its upper end an adJustable headed thrust set-screw I". The flat top of the member 8 acts on a rounded portion III of anvoperating lever I28 which is connected to and which operates a shaftl22. The lever I28 can be adjusted as to its efl'ective length, it being threaded into an opening in the shaft. I22 and locked in any desired adjusted position by means such as a lock nut I24. It will be observed that the movements of the shaft I22 correspond accurately to the pressures in the space 58.

The. Space 58 may be provided with a shut-off valve I28 having a guide or stem I28 and which is normally held away from its seat by its buoyancy in the mercury but which drops to close the passage 48 when the mercuryis drainedout.

The upper position of the piston device 88, and therefore one limit of movement of the shaft 84, may be adiustably determined by. means such as a set screw I88 passing through a gland or the like I82 at the top of the instrument. The stop I88 also permits limiting the movement of the square-root cam, to prevent it from approaching too close to its zero position to operate easily.

It will be see'nthat in the angular movements of the shafts 84 and I22 respectively we have quantities corresponding to the differential in pressures on opposite sides of the orifice I2 and to the fluid pressure on one side of that orifice. square roots of these quantities, and therefore the square roots of the angular movements of the shafts 84 and I 22 are the quantities'which it is desired to combine to obtain a corrected reading of the fluid flow. e

The shaft ,84 has .mounted thereon a novel square root cam I84, .shownformed as a metal stamping having an edge flange I88 whose curvature with respect tothe axis of the shaft 84 cor- I responds to the various angularpositions of the shaft 84. As these quantities at one end of the scale change more rapidly than it is feasible to simulate by an ordinary cam and roller type of engagement, wepreferably provide the flange at this end with a relatively sharp fbend, and the flange is embraced by two rollers or followers I88 mounted on opposite ends of an equalizer bar or the like I48 which is centrally pivoted on the end of a bell crank lever I42.

It will be seen that the initial movement of the cam I84 gives a very rapid movement of the lever I42 as the equalizer bar I48 is swung about its pivot at the same time that the rollers follow the cam flange I88. This enables a more accurate movement of the lever I42 at this end of the scale of the square root cam, so that the angular movements of the bell crank lever I42 are accurately proportional to the square root of the differential in pressures on opposite sides of the orifice I2.

The shaft I22 is provided with a lever I44 centrally mounted thereon and which is connected, as more fully explained below, by a link I48 arranged at such an angle as to operate a second lever I48 substantially in proportion to the square root of the movement of the arm I28 and therefore of the absolute pressure of the fluid in the pipe I8.

The lever I 48 is fulcrumed approximately at its center on a fixed pivot I58 and has its lower end connected by a floating pivot I52 with a floating link I54. The link I54 is equal in length to the vertical portionof the bell crank lever I42 The and is also equal in length to a second floating link I58 which forms one side of a parallelogram motion mechanism of which the vertical arm of the lever I42 forms the other side. The link I54, the vertical portion of the bell crank lever I42 and the lower portion of the lever I48 are equalv in length to the distance between the pivot I58 and the flxed axis on which the lever I42 is pivoted.

The upper ends of the two links I54 and I58 are connected by a floating pivot I 58 to a floating link I88 which is connected by means such as another floating pivot I82 to the upper end of the lever I42. The lever I42 is mounted on a suitable flxed pivot which is not shown in Figures 3 and 5, from which figures it is omitted for the sake of showing the position of the indicator shaft 88 which is Journalled inside of this flxed pivot. Howeveizthe opening I84 in the lever I42 which I is journalled on this fixed pivot is shown in these flgures and indicates its position.

The indicator sleeve 84 hasrigidly connected thereto an indicator arm I88 which is the same length as the floating link, I88 and which is connected by means such as a pivot I88 to the lower end of the link I58.

It willbe seen that the lever I42 and the indicator arm I88, as'well as the two indicators 28 and 88' (or the pens 22) all move about the same axis which is indicated in Figures 3 and 5 as the axis of the shaft 88. The axis of the pivot I58, wheniall or the parts are in their zero positions, coincides with the axis of the shaft I58 on which the lever I48 is pivoted. When all of the parts are in their zero positions, the axis of the floating pivot I52 coincides with the axis of the pivot I88, so that the lower portion of the lever I 48 and the two links I54 and I58 are all arranged one behind the other.

So long as the lever I42 remains in its zero position, movement of the lever I48 merely swings the link I54 idly about the axis of the pivot I58 and the pivot I58, which at that time are in line -I88 idly back and forth without changing the angular position of the arm I88 and therefore without moving the indicator 28. Since the true zero position of lever I48 corresponds to a vacuum, without any pressure from the atmosphere,

this condition is never met with in practice, and

any movement'of lever I42 always (as a practical matter) does operate pointer 28.

A If, however, the lever I42 is moved clockwise to its 100% position, and the lever I48 is also moved clockwise to its 100% position, the result will be to swing the parallelogram I 88 I58-I88 downwardly to move the indicator 28 to its 100% position on its scale 82. An analysis of the mechanism will show that at intermediate positions of the two levers I42 and I48 the indicator 28 will be moved along-uniform graduations on the scale 82 to a position which corresponds to the product of the two quantities represented by the movements of the two levers I42 and I48 respectively. That is, the indicator 28 indicates on its scale 82 the product of the two square roots and therefore the desired corrected reading.

The above described novel parallelogram linkage with its parts arranged to perform the operation of mechanical multiplication of two quantities, aside from its combination with the other parts as described herein, is the joint invention of Albert F. Spitzglass and Otto T. Handwerk and is more fully explained and is claimed in our copending application No. 687,064, filed August 28, 1933.

As explained below the movements of the lever I44 are proportional to the absolute pressure of the fluid in the conduit I0. Ordinarily it is desirable to have the indicator 30 show, not this absolute pressure, but the pressure in excess of the atmospheric pressure (that is normally approximately 14.-'? lbs. per sq. in, less than the absolute pressure). For convenience in describing the manner of obtaining this correction, and. certain features of the other parts of the mechanism, we have shown in Figure 4 the same general arrangement of parts as in Figure 3 but with scales provided for them to show their manner of movement and in some cases with pointers and the like added to show the movement of the parts relatively to these scales. It will be appreciated that ordinarily these scales and pointers are not used in the actual meter, as the only parts which have to he graduated for ordinary use are the scales on the chart which cooperate with the indicators 22 or 28 and 30.

In this Figure 4, for convenience in this description as explained, the lever I44 is shown as terminating in a pointer indicating a reading on scale III], the maximum limits of which are shown as the angle a in the diagram of Figure 5. Scale I10 shows the arm moving to indithe square root of the absolute pressure.

cate pressures from to 100%; the 100% indicates whatever is the maximum for which the meter is adapted. The link I46, during the movement of lever I44 from zero to 100%, moves the upper end of the lever I48 from zero to 100% along a scale II2 which represents the fluid pressure with the atmospheric pressure regarded as Zero.

It will be noted that this scale is not uniformly graduated because of the fact that the angle of the link I46 is so selected as to give uniform readings on a second scale I'i4 which represents It will be seen that the lower limit of the lever I48, which is at zero on the scale H2, is at atmospheric pressure on the scale I14. The scale I12 may be regarded as giving the working range of the instrument corresponding to the angle 0 in Figure 5, since the lever I48 never moves below the point on the scale I14 which indicates atmospheric pressure. At the same time it is necessary to design the instrument to have this theoretical movement of the lever I48 through the angle 1), or along the entire range of the scale I74, because of the fact that the corrections of the flow readings which it is desired to secure are not proportional to the pressure above atmospheric pressure but to the absolute pressure.

The square root cam I34 is also shown in Figure 4 provided with a scale I16 which indicates the square root factor throughout the greater part of the range of movement of the cam, and

- the equalizer bar I40 carrying the cam rollers I38 is shown provided with a pointer I'I8 movable along an auxiliary scale I80 shown graduated on one side as a percent of the movement and graduated on the other side to show the square root factor. This figure also shows the rack member 76 provided with a scale I82 cooperating with an indicating pointer I84 to show the reading of the difierential pressure which actuates the square root cam I34.

It is desirable to show by means of the indicator 30 or the corresponding pen 22 the usual gage pressure referring to atmospheric pressure as zero. For this reason the shaft 36 which carries the indicator 30 is provided with an operating arm I 88 connected by an inclined link I90 to a bell crank lever I92 pivoted at I94 on the left end of the lever I44. The lever I92 is movable with respect to the lever I44 to correct for changes in atmospheric pressure, due to barometric changes.

or to changes in altitude, as shown for example on a scale I96, and is adapted to be clamped in adjusted position by means such as a clamp screw I98 which passes through a slot in the lever I92.

The angles of the levers I88 and I92 and of the link I90 are such that the indicator 30 has the desired movement along the scale 32. If desired the scale 32 could be graduated in two different manners, but we prefer to proportion and arrange the various parts so that the two indicators can cooperate with a single scale.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is not our intention to limit its scope to that particular embodiment, or otherwise thanby the terms of the appended claims;

We claim:

1. A meter comprising an indicator having a shaft, an arm rigid with said shaft, a floating link of the same length as and arranged parallel to said arm, a lever fulcrumed for movement about the axis of said shaft and connected to one end of said floating link, a second link of the same length as said lever and parallel thereto and having connections at its ends to the end of said arm and to the other end of said floating link, a lever having a fulcrum behind and in line with the connection between the floating link and the second link in one extreme position of said connection and having a portion below said fulcrum equal in length to and arranged behind said second link and the end of which is linked to the connection between the floating link and the second link, a pressure-operated member, a square-root-extracting device connecting said member to the first lever, a second pressure-operated member, and a square-root-extracting device connecting said second member to the second lever.

2. A meter comprising, in combination with a mechanical multiplying mechanism which consists of four members connected by pivots at their ends to form a parallelogram linkage with one of the pivots fixed and having a fifth member connected to the pivot diagonally opposite the fixed pivot and a sixth member pivoted at one end to the free end of the fifth member and fulcrumed on a second fixed pivot spaced from the first fixed pivot, an indicator secured to and movable with one of the members mounted on the first-fixed pivot, a pressure-operated device having a square-root-extracting mechanism connecting it to the other member mounted on the first fixed pivot, a second pressure-operated device, and a second square-root-extracting device connecting said second pressure-operated device to said sixth member.

3; A meter comprising, in combination with a multiplying mechanism consisting of two spaced pivot-s having mounted thereon two arms equal in effective length to the distance between said pivots and one of which has pivoted at its free end a third arm of the same length and a link connecting the free ends of said third arm and the other of the said two arms, two devices controlled independently in accordance with measurements of conditions to be indicated by the meter, means connecting said devices respectively to the first two arms to operate them, an indicator, a fourth arm of the same length as said first named link connected to said indicator, and a link of the same length as said first three arms operatively connected to the junction of said first named link and said third arm and to said fourth arm thereby to operate the indicator to show a function of the product of the said measurements.

4. A meter comprising, in combination with a multiplying mechanism consisting of two spaced pivots having mounted thereon two arms equal in efiective length to the distance between said pivots and one of which has pivoted at its free end a third arm of the same length and a link connecting the free ends of said third arm and the other of the said two arms, pressure-operated devices, means connecting said devices respeotively to the first two arms to operate them, an indicator, a fourth arm of the same length as said first named link connected to said indicator, and a link of the same length as said first three arms operatively connected to the junction of said first named link and said third arm and to said fourth arm thereb to operate the indicator to show a function of the product of the measurements controlling said devices.

ALBERT F. SPITZGLASS.

OTTO T. HANDWERK. 

